At the beginning of the school year, the switch from a daily full class schedule to a block schedule was drastic for many students who were skeptical of change. Perhaps their skepticism was due to the lack of student involvement in the decision. However, this school year, a few members of  the school faculty took it upon themselves to survey the juniors, sophomores, and freshmen on the structure and function of both our school policies and schedule.

The surveys were administered during Seward High’s language arts classes. The results were then processed by Mr. Reising’s math class and illustrated very diverse, but positive opinions within the student body. In terms of the structure of the block schedule, out of 85 student responses, 93% said they like the block schedule while 7% said they did not. In addition, out of 60 students who had Personalized Learning Class (PLC), 72% said they use their time wisely, while 20% said they do not. Plus, 81% of 54 students said they want PLC next year. Therefore, it appears that implementing the block schedule and PLC have been beneficial and widely accepted.

When it comes to the Seward High’s policies, discipline was a prioritized topic. 85 students gave their opinion on the rules/disciplinary actions at our school. 6% said our school’s discipline is too harsh; 78% said it is just right; and 16% said it is too lenient. However, the conversation on bullying did not derive such a positive outcome. In 86 responses about a bullying problem, 7% said there is one in our school; 44% said sometimes there is a bullying problem; and 49% said there is not a problem. Because the results are showing a problem with bullying, now the question is, as a school, how can we address this issue?

In the What Could be Changed section of the survey, a trend arose regarding the Friday schedule, which included requesting an earlier and longer lunch. A follow up survey revealed, out of 72 students who responded, a 68% majority voted in favor of revising the schedule, so next year lunch will begin at 11:30 and last for 40 minutes, eliminating the calorie break.  

On a positive note, survey results showed students appreciate the teachers and staff at Seward High. The general structure of our school seems to be approved of. Do the students feel their opinions are being accurately represented through this survey? Is there a better way to query the student body? Share your opinion with an SHS editor in the comment section below or email the SHS staff at shstodaystaff@gmail.com.